VALENTINE’S DAY: The Best Date

Another healthy Valentine idea: Medjool dates. Whenever we encounter the Bard Valley Medjool Date Growers at a trade show, it’s our favorite booth. The melt-in-your-mouth, better-than-sugar dates have been called mankind’s first candy—and maybe the best. The Medjool variety has been called “the fruit of kings,” and unlike other “favorites of kings”—horse racing, for example—everyone…
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VALENTINE GIFT: Healthy Black Currants

First, the truth about currants: Most products called currants are raisins, in a botanical family unrelated in any way to the current, except at the highest, Kingdom, level (*detail addicts, see the footnote at the bottom of this article). As for why real currants were banned from America for 82 years, read the story, a…
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VALENTINE’S DAY: Gourmet Chocolates

We love getting gifts from Chocolat Céleste (it means “heavenly chocolate” in French), a Minneapolis-based artisan chocolatier. The ganache fillings are delicious and the cocoa-butter transfers that decorate the tops are lovely. If you’re looking for a special box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day, head over to the website and take your pick. Gift boxes…
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VALENTINE’S DAY: Chocolate ‘Gingerbread’ Man Or Girl

He’s just a hunk, a hunk of chocolate love (photo © Choclatique.   For the Valentine whose heart desires two-and-one-half pounds of solid milk chocolate, the creative chocolatiers at Choclatique suggest Chocolate Man (in photo) or Chocolate Girl (she has long eyelashes and a hair bow). There’s no gingerbread—just 100% chocolate (plus decorations). Each Chocolate…
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TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Valentine Food Gifts

One of five alternatives to Valentine chocolate. Photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma.   Situation: You need a great gift for Valentine’s Day. The recipient doesn’t want chocolate candy. Solution: five recommendations for delicious food items that aren’t chocolates. Our Valentine Top Picks include: 1. Godiva Chocolate Vodkas & Chocolate Liqueurs 2. Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa, a…
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